Lead farmer extension and engagement: a case of Zango and Kofa drylands in North-Western Nigeria

Farmers in rural areas of the developing world mostly rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, there is a shortage of extension services personnel to support these farmers to improve productivity. In this study, interviews were conducted with extension service providers and the research institutions around two communities (Zango, Katsina State and Kofa, Kano State) in the North-Western Nigerian drylands. Staff of different genders from one private research and two government organisations were interviewed. The staff of the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) were also interviewed separately in the two states. We found that the lead farmer extension model was advocated by the extension service providers and the research institutions, albeit with substantial knowledge gaps. In addition, we did not find any ideal extension ratio from the communities; however, the extension model can potentially reduce the extension-agent-to-farmer ratio being witnessed across the dryland communities of Northwestern Nigeria and in the country broadly. Hence, agricultural development programs should promote this extension model in a gender-disaggregated way to improve farmer productivity.